Customer Reviews

A More Perfect Union (J. P. Beaumont)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This J.P. Beaumont novel was not up to the same standards as the others I have read. There was no emotion. I also am seeing the same M.O. Beau tries to do some sleuthing on his own time, gets accused of murder and then goes to jail where the officers are hateful to him. Beau then makes a few phone calls and the officers apologize for their behavior and all is well.

In this novel Beau is investigating the Iron Workers Local after several workers die under mysterious circumstances. In order to work on the case he has to beg Kramer to let him on. How thoroughly sad.

The highlight of this book is that even when J.A. Jance isn't at her best, she is still better than most.

Great book by a great author. I love her writing and anyone buying her books needs to look at her website and read the books in order.

"J P Beaumont"-known as "Beau"-is a Seattle homicide cop with a private income ,a man whose job fills a need in him more emotional and psychological than monetary.While acting as technical adviser on a movie being shot near Lake Union,he stumbles across a body floating on the lake.Tha case is officially the provenance of the ultra ambitious cop "Paul Kramer"who insisits it is an accidental death;Beau is unpersuaded and continues to delve into the case.
The body is that of an ironworker-one of the people who put up iron girders on skyscrapers-and soon another ironworker is killed,by a fall on the job.
Beau's delving into the vase earns him official displeasure but he is vindicated when the deaths turn out to be murder and related one to the other.The bulk of the book concerns his unravelling of the case and it winds its way to a smooth but predictable climax.
These words sum up my view of the book0it is neat and tidy in execution but ,for me ,it never really took flight and transcended the functional level of being an agreeable time passer.
Beau is a character I have problems with mainly because in many respects he resembles the gifted amateur sleuth beloved of the "golden age "writers,and who just happens to be a cop.I could not swallow porsch driving cop with an apartment in Seattle's more upmarket area.
Polished and professional this will most likely be enjoyed by lovers of the "medium boiled "crime story

This early entry in the J.P. Beaumont mystery series isn't as compelling as the five that were published before it, but its shorter length keeps it from dragging on too long. What begins as story about a cop working on a movie set turns into a caper about foul play amongst union ironworkers. Too many flat characters, and a bizarre plot turn or two serve to muddle things up before the book moves toward its conclusion.

This is a novel that deviates from the norm for this author. Jance usually delivers compelling mysteries with good accompanying personal developments in the life of the main characters. In this case, there is a lot more focus on what is going on in the life of J.P. Beaumont and on the political games within the police department. In turn, the mystery is not nearly as interesting and the conclusion feels rushed and does not include all the necessary details.

Beau is working babysitting a movie crew when a body turns up in the water by the location where filming is taking place, which means that he is not part of the case, but his interest is piqued. Since one of the lead detectives on the murder case is obnoxious and pedantic, Beau gets involved, in an effort to bring justice to the victim and show his newly found nemesis how to perform good police work. This in turn will generate tension within the department and pose challenges for carrying out the investigation. For the reader, this implies that we do not get a full picture of the facts, and therefore, find it harder to make sense of who the culprit is and why the events unfolded in the way they did.

Even though this is a subpar effort for J.A. Jance, I think that it is a slightly above average novel for this genre. I found myself reading almost nonstop and finishing the book quickly, but the most interesting part was Beau's interactions with other characters, not the murder case. I think that this means that for those people that are not familiar with the series, it is going to be a lot more interesting to look elsewhere. Those that have been reading this series in order though, will probably find that they like the story, and that it represents a change of pace from the previous installments. However, now it is time for this author to come back strong with another exciting and fast-paced mystery!

Product arrived on time and as described. Why does a review have to be a certain length? I want to protest Amazon forcing me to write more than I feel NECESSARY! I feel others should do the same.

I enjoyed this book. JP Beaumont is a believable, flawed, actually humble character and remains likable anyway. J. A. Jance is a good writer who has provided me with many hours of enjoyment.

A MORE PERFECT UNION is an intriguing title for J.P. Beaumont's meandering case. It isn't his case and he's cutting in on another's turf, which earns him departmental censor. Beau is out for justice for the victim and there is little mystery to solve. The work comes in proving the conclusion.

This is a story more about relationships, than about police procedure. But it doesn't hold the power of the title, though it will keep you reading.Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early Settlers

I love both the JP Beaumont and the Joanna Brady series. I have read every one in order and each one has captured my attention (not easy to do) from beginning to end. I can't wait from one to the next to see what scrapes they will get into next.

If JA Jance is Seattle's Dashiell Hammett, I am moving to San Francisco. This is pretty OK. But keep in mind I read Louis LaMour sometimes too. I am just not proud of it.